plate no. 7670

Portrait of Countess Golovine

oil, canvasRococoportraitportraitwomanclothingheadscarfhairface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in rendering skin tones and drapery folds. It also provides practice in achieving soft, blended transitions and capturing a likeness.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 15 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and drapery.
step 02
Establish the background color with a thin wash of brown and ochre.
step 03
Block in the main areas of color for the skin, hair, headscarf, and clothing.
step 04
Begin refining the skin tones, paying attention to highlights and shadows to create form.
step 05
Develop the drapery folds and highlights in the red shawl, using a range of red hues.
step 06
Add details to the hair and headscarf, capturing the texture and form.
step 07
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth to capture the likeness.
step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the painting.

color palette

primary · cadmium red · titanium white · yellow ochre

secondary · burnt umber · ivory black · raw sienna

Mix skin tones by blending white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Use burnt umber and ivory black to create shadows and darker tones. Achieve the red of the shawl by mixing cadmium red with a touch of burnt umber for depth.

techniques

·blending
·glazing
·scumbling
·portraiture
·drapery

common pitfalls

→Overworking the skin tones, resulting in a muddy or unnatural appearance.
→Failing to accurately capture the proportions and likeness of the subject.
→Creating harsh transitions between light and shadow.
→Ignoring the subtle variations in color within the drapery folds.

materials

surface · stretched canvas

required

·stretched canvas
·oil paints (cadmium red, titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt umber, ivory black, raw sienna)
·linseed oil
·turpentine or odorless mineral spirits
·assorted brushes (round and flat)
·palette
·palette knife
·rags